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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · chest · current · safe · key · cabinet · squash · foot

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. club — for golf
  4. current — electric
  5. club — a group
  6. key — the most important part
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. current — happening now
  10. foot — a measure
  11. club — for dancing
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. key — in music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — of water
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chest — a box
  21. squash — the sport
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com